Embodiments of this disclosure relate generally to an aerial refueling system, and more particularly, to a pivotable aerial refueling boom having six degrees of freedom.
In order to extend the flight range of certain aircraft, some aircraft can be designed with in-flight refueling or air-to-air refueling capabilities. One type of refueling system is a boom refueling system. The boom refueling system may include a rigid boom. The rigid boom may have a probe and nozzle at its distal end. The boom may include airfoils controlled by a boom operator stationed on the refueling aircraft. The airfoils may allow the boom operator to actively maneuver the boom with respect to a receiver aircraft, which flies in a fixed refueling position below and aft of the tanker aircraft.
Minimizing the boom cross-section during movement of the refueling boom may decrease aerodynamic drag. A desire to decrease the aerodynamic drag of the refueling boom may determine the overall size and shape of control surfaces used to move the refueling boom, which in turn dictates the size of the boom operating envelope.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a system and method that overcomes the above. The systems and methods described herein decrease the refueling boom cross-section during movement thereby reducing the need for larger-sized airfoil control surfaces.